


The Way We Met

by Kumikoko



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Eren and Armin are just friends, Family Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, first friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2019-03-06 17:36:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13416228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kumikoko/pseuds/Kumikoko
Summary: As a child, Armin is bullied often. This means he visits Dr. Jaeger a lot, and meets his son, Eren Jaeger.





	The Way We Met

**Author's Note:**

> I just realized, after all of these years, that, because Armin was bullied, his grandfather, or parents, or both, often brought him to Dr. Jaeger, where, Armin met Eren. Am I the only who did not quite realize that that was exactly how they met? 
> 
> In either case, there is a lot of fluff here, compared to what I normally write. I hope you guys find this realistic. 
> 
> Armin is about five, or six in the fanfic. Petite. Baby-face. So cute. Why do people not write young Armin!? Gah! 
> 
> I know Carla is a loving mother towards Eren, although she, at the same time, is strict with him. I wanted, though, to portray Carla's softer side that was reserved for when Eren was a baby and he couldn't walk and break everything in the house. I hope people like seeing this side of her, brought out towards Armin. I swear. Carla's love is motherly. Platonic. Please. Please don't twist this into something dark, peoplez. Let this be innocent.

**The Way We Met**

 

Carla Jaeger had been in the midst of mopping the floor early one Saturday morning when an urgent, repetitive knocking noise reverberated throughout the house. Carla straightened, and looked towards the front door.

“Dr. Jaeger? Dr. Jaeger!” An elderly voice sounded from the other side of the door.

“Eren. Stay there.” Carla instructed her son, who was lounging lazily on the couch, with his eyes focused on a window.

“Okay.” Eren responded, his tone reflecting his boredom.

“Coming.” Carla called to the mystery man, as she approached the door. She had brought the mop with her _just in case_ , because her husband was fetching cheese from a local shop. Carla opened the door and recognized Mr. Arlert.

Mr. Arlert was a local farmer, elderly, and living with the only remaining family he had left—a grandson who was about Eren’s age. The grandson was being held by Mr. Alert. He shared the family’s predominant traits of blonde hair, and blue eyes.

In truth, the young boy—she couldn’t remember his name offhand—was the most charming child she had ever met. He was shy, and innocent, and was clutching his grandfather’s shirt in a vice grip. Carla was about to comment on the little guy, when she noticed he was trembling, and crying softly.

“I fear his ankle is swelling.” Mr. Arlert proclaimed, not bothering with formalities. He was concerned for his grandson, and wanted him to receive medical help immediately.

“Here. Let me see him.” Carla offered, as she set the mop aside and carefully grabbed the boy out of his loving grandfathers arms. When he realized he was being taken from his grandfather, he reached back out for the man. His little fingers only managed to brush against Mr. Arlert’s shirt.

“Is Dr. Jaeger here? I would really like to speak with him.” Mr. Arlert inquired, as he stepped into the house. Carla shut the door with her foot, and wrapped her arms around the shaking boy in her arms, who had brought his arms against his chest, expressing his fear of being in a strangers arms.

“He will be home in a minute.” Carla replied, and held the scared boy close to her, as she swayed back and forth in a motherly rocking motion. Eren tilted his head back from his perch on the couch to watch the adults interact with each other. He saw his mother rocking a frightened child about his age in her arms the way she used to rock him when he was smaller, and almost docile. She was making gentle _shushing_ noises, and was now stroking Armin’s hair.

“I am sorry to bother you so early in the morning.” Mr. Arlert commented, apologetically, as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Oh, it is no problem. It is just a shame about his parents.” Carla mentioned, as she set Armin on to the kitchen table and began to smooth his messy hair. Armin peered up at her through his blonde fringe, guarded, but innocent.

So innocent.

Mr. Arlert tensed at the mention of his deceased family. A muscle tightened in his cheek as a frown began to work its way onto his face. “We’ll be alright. Won’t we, Armin?” Mr. Arlert goaded, in an attempt to be positive about their dire situation. Armin shifted uncomfortably on the table, and began to pick at his dirty, tattered shirt.

When Armin deigned not to speak, Mr. Arlert continued. “It is just that Armin says he fell down the stairs in the market, but I saw those street rat kids from the mill push him, and then laugh about it.” Mr. Arlert explained, exasperated that anyone would want to hurt his little Armin.

“The Mill Boys again? I grounded Eren just yesterday for sparring with them.” Carla stated, and pushed Armin’s thick, untamed mop of hair out of his face. A small, red cut marred his cheek. Armin kept himself hunched, with his shoulders drawn close together. He was still trembling, scared his ankle would be prodded at.

“They started it.” Eren defended from the living room.

“Oh, you poor boy.” Carla muttered to Armin, and swiped a thin line of fresh blood off of his cheek with her thumb. She knelt down on one knee, so she could look into Armin’s pretty blue eyes, that were bogged down by sadness and uncertainty. “From now on, Eren is going to protect you from those mean older boys, okay?” Carla informed Armin gently, grasping his little hands in hers.

“Your boy?” Mr. Arlert asked, incredulous. He glanced to Eren who by this time had rolled over on to his stomach, and had propped himself up on his elbows. He had quite the negative reputation around town as being a wild, aggressive child. Mr. Arlert was inclined to believe the rumors too because even now, Eren was watching them all with a cold indifference.

“My boy may be many things, as I am sure you have heard. However, if there is one thing he can do, he can fight. And since he wants to fight that badly with the other boys, he can protect this precious child of yours.” Carla reasoned, as she carefully inspected Armin for other visible wounds. She found another little line of blood on the top of his ear. It was just a scrape.

“You mean, I can fight if I am protecting him?” Eren reconstructed his mother’s words into  question.

“Yes, Eren. Look at him.” Carla instructed and stepped aside so Eren and Armin could meet. “He is yours to protect from this day forwards.” Carla gestured to Armin, who appeared quite uncomfortable now that the spotlight was directly upon him. Eren stealthily climbed off of the couch, and approached Armin who tensed up, under Eren’s intense gaze.

For a moment, Carla was not sure what Eren was about to do. She loved her son, and would never want for more, but he was as unpredictable as little boys came. Eren seized Armin over, then he lifted his copper skinned hand, bit it—much to Carla’s horror—and then held the bleeding hand out to Armin.

“Okay. Armin, was it? I will protect you. Always.” Eren declared with determined green eyes, and waited for Armin to do something other than stare at him agog. Mr. Arlert rubbed Armin’s shoulder gently, to encourage him to say something—anything.

“O-oh…” Armin murmured, taken aback by Eren’s honest sincerity. He stared, impressed with the slightly older boy. A flush of red heated his cheeks when he realized the adults, and Eren were still staring at him, waiting. Flustered, Armin wiped some blood off of his cheek, and then grabbed Eren’s hand in his fair skinned palm.

The bloody handshake solidified their bond, and intertwined their fates.

A soft smile spread across Carla’s face. She wrapped one arm around Armin’s shoulders, and draped her other arm around Eren’s shoulders. “I hope the two of you will be best friends forever!” Carla announced, eager to give Eren a friend, and a meaningful purpose in life.

“Thank you, Madam.” Mr. Arlert said gratefully, upon seeing a small smile tug at Armin’s lips, even if it was just a reaction from Eren’s silly, toothy grin.

“Now. Can I go kick their asses for hurting my best friend?” Eren inquired, turning to his mother, who blushed at his foul language. Armin’s little smile widened, while his eyes shown with hope of a better future.

“No. You can only hit them if they bully Armin again.” Carla told him, and then pointed to the living room. “Now march.”

Eren frowned irritably, and sauntered back into the living room to stew.

The front door opened then, and Dr. Jaeger entered the house. He shut the door behind him and carried a round, wrapped up cheese block into the house. He stopped upon noticing Armin, and Mr. Arlert.

“Oh, honey. You’re home. Those rude boys from the mill pushed Armin down some stairs. His grandfather is concerned about his ankle.” Carla mentioned, and greeted her husband with a warm smile. Dr. Jaeger nodded a greeting to Mr. Arlert, then set the cheese down on a counter  before he approached Armin. Armin craned his neck in an attempt to see Dr. Jaeger’s face. The man was tall, while Armin was small.

“He says his ankle hurts a lot and he can’t walk on it.” Mr. Arlert explained, so the doctor could have some insight as to why they were here so early in the morning. Dr. Jaeger grabbed Armin’s foot with one hand, and with his other, he made to lift the tight pant leg above the ankle.

A shrill yelp from Armin made Dr. Jaeger abandon his inspection. “Eren. Fetch one of your shorts. He should not be wearing pants like this, while his ankle is swollen.” Dr. Jaeger said, while Mr. Arlert grabbed Armin’s hand and gently stroked it to let him know he wasn’t alone.

“Ugh. Okay. Fine.” Eren griped from the living room, and wandered flippantly into his room.

“You have to get those pants off of him. They’re restricting blood flow to his foot. If you can not do that, then I will have to ask you to step outside, and allow me to do it.” Dr. Jaeger informed Mr. Arlert. Mr. Arlert glanced at Armin, who he knew could not bear to be alone with strangers.

“I will manage just fine.” Mr. Arlert responded, and turned his full attention to Armin, who seemed to be panicking over the mere idea of stripping in front of strangers. “Come on, now, Armin. I need you to be a good boy, and help me get these pants off of you.” Mr. Arlert encouraged softly, hoping Armin would cooperate. Armin swallowed and shook his head left, and then right, in sharp, frantic motions. He did not want anyone touching his ankle, let alone to be almost naked.

Having an idea, Carla unwrapped the paper from the cheese, tore a piece off, and popped it into her mouth. “Oh, this cheese is so tasty. I bet your charming boy would love to taste it.” Carla mused. Mr. Arlert caught on to her ploy, and nodded.

“You remember cheese, Armin? If you cooperate with us, she’ll let you have a bite.” Mr. Arlert promised, flicking his thumb over Armin’s knuckles. Armin glanced to the cheese hungrily, then looked back to his grandfather with uncertain eyes. “I will be right here the whole time. I will not leave you alone with them, but you need to let us help you, even if it hurts.” Mr. Arlert encouraged softly.

Finally, Armin relented. “C-could I have a big piece of cheese?” Armin asked innocently, and parted his hands to show them the size he thought he wanted to eat. Carla and Mr. Arlert laughed. Mr. Arlert pat Armin on his head.

“We’ll see, we’ll see.” Mr. Arlert said, and lifted Armin up just enough that he could pull his grandson’s pants off of his narrow, bony hips. The pants came off easily, at first, until they stopped at the swollen ankle. Armin jerked his leg upon feeling pain. Carla approached Armin, and wrapped her arms around his little body.

With her hand on the back of Armin’s head, she pressed his face against her soft breasts, and then began to stroke his hair and hum to him. The motherly affection appealed to Armin, who was lonely with just his grandfather. He nestled his face against her breasts, and grabbed on to her shoulders tightly as Dr. Jaeger, and Mr. Arlert worked the pants off the rest of the way.

All Armin could do was whimper, and cry. The pain in his ankle was excruciating, and raw. Carla comforted Armin the best she could, giving him soft, motherly kisses, and even sang to him while Dr. Jeager examined the bruised ankle.

“Without technology that allows me to see into his body, I can only make an educated guess that I do not believe any of his bones were broken. I will prescribe you some herbal medicine that should relieve some of the pain. If you can keep something cold on his ankle, do so, for it will quell some of the swelling. Other than that, make sure he stays off of the ankle for a good week. If nothing improves, come back.” Dr. Jaeger assessed, having pawed at Armin’s tender ankle.

“Thank you.” Mr. Arlert said, and fished his hand into his pocket for his wallet. Carla noticed, and let go of Armin to place a hand over his.

“It is okay. Keep your money.” Carla said, her expression gentle. Dr. Jaeger rose an eyebrow at his wife. What had gotten into her while he was gone?

“I could not possibly leave without paying you for your services.” Mr. Arlert sputtered, even though her offer was tempting.

Everyone knew that farmers did not make a lot of money. Carla confirmed that today by seeing their tattered, cheap clothes that were too thin to keep the early spring air from biting into their skin. She was also aware of the tragedies the Arlerts had faced in recent years and while everyone had a story, most people did not have a child like Armin in tow.

The boy was positively adorable, and sad. Carla just wanted to hug him, and pamper him every day of his life. She even wanted to protect him from the cruel world, to preserve that sweet child-like innocence that resided in his eyes. He was so sweet, so charming…such a good little boy, and yet the world had forsaken him, and had taken away the people who were meant to protect him, and shower him with affection.

Carla did not doubt Mr. Arlert’s capabilities as a parent, but as a man, he could not give Armin the love of a mother that he desperately needed, and wanted. She had seen the fleeting, longing, curious looks Armin had sent her way.

“Please, I insist. Go buy your charming boy something sweet, with the money you would have spent here.” Carla insisted, and went to fetch a slice of cheese for Armin since he had been a good boy. She paused for a moment, and thought about how she never could say that about Eren. Not that she minded, though. She loved Eren for the little brat that he was.

“Here.” Eren announced, and held the shorts out as he approached the adults. Dr. Jaeger grabbed the shorts, and helped a nervous, skittish Armin into the shorts. Eren grabbed Armin’s hand, seeing how uncomfortable the little blonde was.

The shorts were slightly bigger on Armin, since Eren was stockier, and more filled out from having consecutive dinners every night. Armin was thin, and gangly from malnutrition and an uneven number of meals. He was not complaining, though, because even at his young age, he knew his grandfather gave him every bit of food that he could.

“When you feel better, show me who hit you. I’ll knock him out.” Eren whispered to Armin, who tensed, and blushed shyly. Eren grinned, and ruffled Armin’s hair. “I promise. Really.”

“There. They may not be very fashionable, but until your ankle heals, you should consider wearing them for awhile.” Dr. Jaeger informed Armin, loud enough for his grandfather to overhear.

“I’ll keep them clean.” Mr. Arlert commented, and picked Armin up, and held him close.

“Take this on your way out.” Carla said, as she handed Armin the slice of cheese she promised him. Armin smiled from ear to ear, and eagerly took the cheese. He opened his mouth, wanting to just tear into the cheese. He hadn’t had breakfast yet, and suspected he wouldn’t be getting lunch either so he almost cast his manners aside.

At the last moment, Armin bit a piece of cheese off of the slice as politely as he could, while refraining himself. His eyes watered from the strain of refraining himself, and the knowledge that this cheese was a life savior.

“Aww. You look so hungry, and disappointed.” Carla sympathized, and went over to the bread box. She pulled a loaf of bread out, and brought it to Mr. Arlert. “Take it. Just this once.” Carla offered, and smiled lightly when Armin’s blue eyes widened with desperate interest. Mr. Arlert hesitated. Dr. Jaeger watched Carla. He wasn’t too concerned, because as one of the only doctors in town, he received a lot of patients daily, which translated into a hefty sum of money.

They were a comfortable, middle class family. Mr. Arlert and Armin were clearly below the poverty level.

“Please.” Carla insisted one more time. Mr. Arlert sighed after a moment, with defeat. He was not used to receiving hand-outs, and was not comfortable with them. If he had been living alone, he would have refused the generous offer. But he had to think about Armin, and Armin _wanted_ that bread.

Mr. Arlert gratefully took the bread. “Thank you all, for everything.” Mr. Arlert thanked them, and carried Armin out of the house. The boy watched Carla wave goodbye, and frowned, realizing he was not going to be receiving warm hugs from a women for the rest of the day. That thought was disappointing.

But instead of being petty, Armin smiled then and waved back, grateful for her kindness, and glanced shyly at Eren who was waving too. He hoped he would see Eren again, and that they could become friends. Armin had never had a friend before, so he wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but, the adults seemed to think that having friends was a good idea. With that in mind, Armin ate the rest of the cheese, and took various bites of the loaf to compliment the cheese.

He had no idea that the wheels of fate were beginning to turn.

. . .

The first winter night was almost unbearable. The morning was no warmer. Mr. Arlert and Armin had barely kept warm enough under their thin blankets to keep their appendages. Neither one of them had slept. Armin was still huddled under the blankets, and shivering as Mr. Arlert pushed his old bones out of the bed they shared together, and went to his money jar.

Over the last few months, Armin had been repeatedly bullied by those damn Mill boys who thought Armin was a nerd because he could read. Those incidents kept leading Armin back to the Jaeger house. Bless their hearts. They had been so kind to Armin. Carla absolutely loved Armin, and would shower him with affection, and warmth. Armin had latched on to her as well, after the first couple of times he had spent being shy of her.

Well, he was still shy towards her. But, he had opened up a lot since then. And he looked forwards to visiting when ever he could. Mr. Arlert wondered if the Jaeger house-hold was Heaven to Armin.

When Armin went to the Jaeger house, even just to visit Eren on a friendly basis, Armin was fed, and treated softly. He was loved there by many. Mr. Arlert was glad Armin had found some happiness in this cruel world the lived in. He idly hoped Armin would visit them today too, since the cold was making Armin miserable.

Mr. Arlert opened the money jar, and began counting coins that he had saved from not having to pay any of Armin’s medical bills. The coins equated to a decent sum, one Mr. Arlert hoped would buy Armin a thick feather down blanket. He held the jar close, and stepped back into the room bedroom.

“I know you’re cold, Armin. But I want you to come with me.” Mr. Arlert told the young one, who curled up tighter underneath the blankets. “Come on. I am going to buy you a blanket.” Mr. Arlert added, figuring Armin might respond positively to the thought of a present.

And as he thought, Armin popped his head out from under the blankets. “Really?” Armin asked hopefully, and held his breath.

“Yes. I wouldn’t lie to you. So come on.” Mr. Arlert encouraged patiently. Armin beamed, and scrambled off of the bed to join his grandfather.

The only way Mr. Alert rationalized saving all of this money, instead of spending it on food that they arguably needed throughout the last few months was that since Armin was spending a lot of time at the Jaeger house, he was receiving snacks that he otherwise would not have had access to, so even though Armin was still perpetually hungry, Mr. Arlert was not concerned the boy would starve to death anymore.

On the way to the market, Armin practically skipped alongside his grandfather, despite the cold. Some children were excited to receive a new toy. Armin was happy to receive a life-saving blanket. That innocence of Armin was what everyone loved the most about him. Mr. Arlert kept Armin close to him, and they looked around the busy, bustling market place for blankets.

“There!” Armin exclaimed, spotting the blankets before Mr. Arlert did. Armin ran to the vendor selling blankets. One blanket had caught his eye. It had a yellow cat print on its pink body, and had white, fluffy edges. It looked kid-friendly and warm. Armin grabbed at it. The merchant opened his mouth to chase the dirty farmer boy away, and made to smack at his hand.

Mr. Arlert arrived then, and held out the jar containing money. “I want to purchase that one for my grandson.” Mr. Arlert announced, and watched how quickly the merchant’s attitude changed.

“Ooh! Right. Let me count it.” The merchant responded, and began to count the coins. Mr. Arlert gently ushered Armin away from the blanket, and draped an arm around his trembling shoulders.

“Wait for it.” Mr. Arlert told Armin who stared at the blanket longingly, and reached for it. Mr. Arlert tightened his hold slightly, to let Armin know to stay put. Armin pouted cutely with impatience, that he did not normally display.

“You can take it.” The merchant declared, taking the money owed to him. Mr. Arlert let Armin go. Armin lunged for the blanket and yanked it down, and wrapped himself up in it. His face lit up, and he beamed, radiating happiness. Mr. Arlert smiled and patted Armin on the head.

“Let’s go show your friend what you bought today.” Mr. Arlert suggested, since Armin had never been able to gloat about anything before. It was about time that he could—at least once in his life, that would be fine.

“Yay!” Armin shouted, and eagerly followed Mr. Arlert to the Jaeger house. “Thank you, Opa.” Armin sang gratefully, and held the blanket close. He hoped the blanket could keep him warm tonight.

“You’re welcome.” Mr. Arlert responded, relieved that he had made the right choice after all. Armin was absolutely thrilled to have something new, and completely his that he could call his own. Mr. Arlert hadn’t seen Armin this alive and rambunctious in awhile. It sure was nice to see. Mr. Arlert guided Armin to the Jaeger household, and up the stairs. Armin did not wince once. The sprain must have completely healed. 

When they arrived at the Jaeger house, and knocked on the door, Carla opened the door and knelt down, as she stretched her arms out towards Armin. “Hello, Sweetheart. You look absolutely adorable today.” Carla greeted Armin warmly, as she always did. Armin brightened, hugged her affectionately.

“Do you mind if I leave him here for awhile?” Mr. Arlert asked, as Carla stroked Armin’s messy hair lovingly.

“Not at all. I was just thinking about the both of you.” Carla admitted, and then kissed Armin’s cheek. Armin laughed shyly, and squirmed happily in her gentle arms, nestling against her.

“Thank you, for everything.” Mr. Arlert said then, and gestured with his hand to the blanket Armin was wrapped up in. Carla looked at the blanket, and recognized it from the market place.

“All this time you saved your money to purchase him a blanket? That was sweet. He seems to love it.” Carla responded, as Armin pulled away from her. 

"Look, look! I got to choose the blanket!" Armin chimed proudly, twirling as he showed the blanket off to her. Carla chuckled, and pat Armin on his head.

"Yes, Dear. That's lovely." Carla commented, which made Armin smile wider. He only beamed like that when she praised him.

Some said she cared too much about a child who was not hers. Others said Armin needed to be harshly reminded that his parents were gone. Mr. Arlert, however, saw nothing wrong with letting Carla dote on Armin, who thrived off of the attention. He was cooing against her as she stroked his hair.

“He does and I could not have done it without your generosity.” Mr Arlert confessed, despite how his pride as a man took a hit. He wished he could buy Armin the world, but he could barely put food in his belly. It was humiliating. Depressing. But he wouldn’t ever let Armin see the stress, nor tears.

“Take care.” Carla told him, and waved as Mr. Arlert took his leave for the day. “Now, whose hungry?” Carla asked Armin, who threw his arms into the air jovially.

“Me!” Armin exclaimed, and rushed into the kitchen. He shifted fervently from foot to foot, only too eager to eat whatever she was willing to hand him. Carla laughed softly and shut the door. She followed Armin into the kitchen and grabbed a chocolate doughnut off of the counter.

“Here. We bought it yesterday, but Eren refused to eat it, so you can have it.” Carla offered the doughnut to Armin, whose blue eyes widened upon seeing the pastry. He took the doughnut and relied on all of his self-control to not eat like a pig. But, when he bit into the doughnut, and tasted the explosion of sugar, he couldn’t control himself any longer and stuffed the entire doughnut into his mouth. That was a sight she was used to seeing from Eren. Eren just had no manners.

Again, Carla laughed heartily and pat Armin on his head. “Be careful, now. I do not want you to choke.” Carla said, and gently wiped some crumbs off of Armin’s face with her apron. Armin grinned. 

Eren walked in on the sweet, motherly scene. He smiled, and hurried over. “Armin! Let’s go play together.” Eren suggested excitedly, knowing that days spent with Armin were a lot of fun. Maybe they could build that airplane Armin talked about last week.

Armin swallowed the last of the doughnut and smiled brightly.

“Sure! But let me keep my blanket here. I do not want to get it muddy.” Armin replied, and hung the blanket on the back of a kitchen chair. He also did not want the blanket to be stolen from him if they ran into bullies.

“Last one outside is it!” Eren exclaimed then, and made a beeline for the door.

“H-hey, that’s not fair!” Armin complained good naturedly, and ran after Eren.

Carla leaned against the table and watched them go, with a gentle smile on her face, never knowing that these fun, innocent days would not last for long.


End file.
